Design of Levers

By:
Er. Shankar Sehgal
Faculty of Mech. Engg., UIET,
Panjab University, Chandigarh
Website: http://shankarsehgal.weebly.com
 Basics
• A lever is a rigid rod or bar capable of turning
about a fixed point called fulcrum.
• The ratio of load lifted to the effort applied is
called mechanical advantage.
• W × l1 = P × l2
W l2

P l1
• The ratio of the effort arm to the load arm i.e.
l2 / l1 is called leverage.
 First Type of Lever
Fulcrum is in between load and effort
 Second Type of Lever
Load is in between fulcrum and effort
 Third Type of Lever
Effort is in between load and fulcrum
 Design of a Lever
• Known parameters:
– Load or Weight, W
• Parameters to be calculated:
– Effort , P or Lever Arm Length, L (Assume P and Calculate L
or vice versa)
– Reaction at fulcrum, RF
– Maximum bending moment acting on cross-section of
lever arm, M
• Parameters to be designed:
– Cross-section of lever arm
– Diameter and length of pins
– Diameter and length of boss
Cross-section of Lever Arm
Hand Lever
 Design of Hand Lever
• d = diameter of shaft
• d2 = diameter of boss = 1.6 d
• t2 = thickness of boss = 0.3 d
• l2 = length of boss = 1.25 d
• t = thickness of lever = 2 t2
• B = width of lever = 5 t
• M = applied bending moment = P x L
Tearing Failure of Boss:
F

A
 
 P  L  
 
  d  t 2  
  2  

l2t 2
Bending Failure of Boss:

 M

y I


 P  L

 d  2t2   l2  d  2t2 3  d 3
  

 2   12 

• Also design the diameter of shaft at the centre of
bearing by considering the equivalent stresses
concept
• Check for Bending Failure of Lever Arm:
•  M
y I
 P L

 B   tB 3 
   
 2   12 
Foot Lever
 Design of Foot Lever
• Effort applied = 80 kg = 800 N
• Design is similar to a Hand Lever
Bell Crank Lever
 Design of Fulcrum
• Double Shearing Failure of Pin:

F RF
  2
A  d1 
2 

 4 
 Design of Fulcrum

Bearing Failure
of Pin:

F RF
 
A d1  l1
 Design of Fulcrum
• Length of bush = length of fulcrum pin
• Thickness of bush = 3 mm

• Diameter of bush = 2 x Diameter of pin

 Design of Fulcrum
• Check for Bending Failure of Fulcrum:
 M

y I
 M

 72   45 723  423  
   
2  12 
 Design of Fork End (if any)
D1 = 2 x d1
t1 = l1 / 2
Inner dia. of
each eye =
d1 + 2 x 3 mm
 Design of Fork End (if any)

Bending failure of the

pin at fork end:
 M

y I
W  l1 t1  W l1
    
 2 2 3 2 4

 d1   d14 
   
2  64 
 Design of Lever Arm
• Use bending failure criteria
Thank You